ghost story

1. Talk to Ghost of a Surapc.get_map_index() == 73
2. Talk to Ghost of a Warrior
3. Talk to Ghost of a Surapc.get_map_index() == 73

Ghost of a Sura:

Are you a ghost?

No, I'm the Queen of Sheba... Of course I'm a ghost! Did someone drop you on your head as a baby?

Help, a ghost!

Lo and behold, a fearless warrior! Boo!!

Who are you?

My name is Akuma. I was once a great warrior, some say I was the best of my time. I even believed it myself! But look at me now. Look at what remained of me after I found the grotto... and perished.

Do you know the history of this place?

Oh I know what happened back then. I researched for a long time, trying to figure out the reason behind this and trying to find the grotto. And since my death I have had a lot of time to think about it. Just ask me what you want to know!

What kind of portal is that?

This portal leads to the dark dragon's chamber, to the fallen God Beran-Setaou. It can be activated with a magic key, which only Beran-Setaou's troops can get...

The Three Gods

Once upon a time, three godly siblings formed the foundations of being. Bahar-Taraji, the Goddess of Creation, was the youngest of the three. Her job was to create new beings - wherever she went, flowers blossomed and life thrived.

The eldest brother was called Beran-Setaou. He was responsible for the end of life and for dissolution. Whenever a life cycle was at its end, he separated body and soul from one another and led the soul into afterlife. And thus a steady circle of becoming and passing away - the foundation of all life - was ensured.

The middle brother was Baljit-Elvedin. As the God of Conservation, he moderated between his two siblings and enabled the eternal circle of life for the creatures of earth. He was, for example, responsible for the coming and going of the seasons.

The Quarrel

During times of need, people begged the three gods for help. Though unfortunately they feared and disregarded Beran-Setaou, as in their short-sightedness they did not understand that just as light and dark exists, he had to exist as a counterpart to creation.

For a long time the god ignored it, but over the years envy grew within him, which slowly turned into hate and malevolence. At first he channelled his anger towards the people by giving them war and illness. However, this only resulted in their further rejection of him and they increasingly prayed to Bahar-Taraji, goddess of newly created life. And thus it became the vicious circle that finally led to ruin.

And as the wrath of the god became so intense that he could not control it any longer, something unbelievable happened: He killed his sister, the nation's sweetheart. This deed was entirely unprovoked, for on that day she treated her brother with the same love and trust that she did every day. And he, looked into those kind eyes and took her life away nevertheless.

The Aftermath

Bahar-Taraji's death had terrible consequences for the world of the gods as well as that of the people: A long and cruel winter came, killing creatures at sea and ashore. The earth froze so firmly that stones cracked and even the eldest and strongest trees withered away.

Young people and animals died and once it finally became warmer, the birth rate became lower than ever before. The weakened country did not yield enough to keep the adult population fed - let alone enough to feed new life. Hope had died along with life and both needed a very long time to fully recover.

Even the gods suffered, however, time goes by more slowly for them than it does for humans. Beran-Setaou withdrew and sought solitude, once the enormity of what he had done dawned on him. Devastating regret and deep satisfaction grappled inside him - until the latter won this mental battle. His heart turned to ice and the God of Dissolution became the God of Ice and Coldness, of Hate and of Fear.

The Battle

Baljit-Elvedin, God of Conservation, grieved for his sister for a long time. And as the tight claws of pain finally loosened their grip around his heart, he went searching for his brother. Level-headedness and wisdom still dominated his life's path and thus he recognised, despite his grief, that life could not continue to hang in imbalance.

He followed his brother's trail and after many long years, finally found him in a cave of ice, hate and solitude, far removed from any other signs of life. Baljit-Elvedin did what he had to do, even though it tore yet another wound into his heart: He challenged his brother to a duel. Beran-Setaou had derailed so far off the path of righteousness that he did not hesitate for a second...

Apparently, the battle was terrible and beyond all comprehension. Baljit-Elvedin won the battle. And remaining true to his morals, he did not kill his brother, but took his powers and locked him in the grotto. And thus Beran-Setaou remains here with the creatures that he has been creating in the last few centuries...

I've heard enough.

May your fate be different to mine. Good luck!

Ghost of a warrior:

Why are you translucent?

What do you think?! I'm a ghost and have been trapped in this rock for a thousand years...

Help, a ghost!

Right, a ghost. Run away quickly, otherwise I'll eat you up!

Who are you?

I was a mercenary once, a simple man. My parents were farmers. However, I didn't want to continue working the same field for the rest of my life, so I joined the military. It was tough and bloody, but it wasn't all bad. But then I finally got tired of being bossed around by good-for-nothing noblemen and left. And then fate finally led me to this dark place.

Do you know the story of the grotto?

No, I don't know, I suppose I was just unlucky. After I had deserted, I wanted to hide in the mountains and stumbled upon this cave. It seemed a bit strange to me right from the start, but it was convenient and seemed completely abandoned. A few days later I became witness and victim of a unbelievable battle. If you like, I can tell you about it.

The Beginning of the Battle

One day - I was just collecting roots at the mountainside - a silver dragon appeared from the heavens. I thought he was after me, but he didn't even see me - he was completely focused on the cave's entrance. Without slowing down, he swooped into the valley and flung himself into the cave.

And then it went quiet for a while and I didn't know what to do. All my equipment was in the cave, but of course I didn't want to come across the dragon! Then the ground rumbled and a dull roar sounded from within the depths of the cave - but to my horror it wasn't just one voice - but two! Shortly afterwards two dragons shot out of the cave - a silver one directly followed by a blue one.

An almost indescribable battle ensued between the dragons. They ripped into each others bodies, became locked in a tight grip and sunk each others teeth into one another's necks... It was raining blood... But neither one loosened their grip for a second.

The End of the Battle

Both dragons rolled over the mountains like a thunderstorm - causing landslides and chaos all round. Lightning scorched the blue dragon's mouth, icy hail perforated the silver dragon's wings. The thick ice crust that had been covering the ground for years, melted under this onslaught and left a muddy residue behind. I hid behind a rock, petrified but incapable of ignoring the sight in front of me.

It took hours before their powers started deteriorating. And then I finally saw my chance, tore away from scene and ran into the valley to get my equipment from the cave. And thus I sealed my fate. I was already on my way back when both dragons shot out from the mountains, the blue ahead of the silver. He had suffered terrible damage.

Just before vanishing into the cave, the silver dragon caught up with him and something very strange happened: The sky started flickering, it became extremely draughty and a vortex of energy was created which the blue dragon got caught up in. He started roaring with pain and rage... he started shrinking, his roaring became weaker and his scales lost their shine before becoming blunt and colourless...

Finally the silver dragon released the other dragon into the cave. With his last bit of strength, the loser dragged himself under the mountain. However, the silver dragon proceeded to release a powerful magic tempest, which sealed the cave with an energy barrier and made part of the mountain collapse. The dark dragon and I were trapped. Condemned to a miserable and excruciating death from starvation...

I've heard enough.

Thanks for listening. The last thousand years have been really lonely...